Message Series // A Better Way – Part 4 — Jesus Won’t Waste Your Pain
Message Date // June 21, 2020 (Scotty Priest)
Big Idea
During this Co-Vid 19 pandemic season, there are a lot of us who can’t wait to get our lives back to “normal”. We are racing to get back to normal, but what if “normal” wasn’t working? Could it be that one of the gifts God has given us during this time is the understanding that how we were living wasn’t the best for us? What if God has allowed us to slow down and gain a new perspective? In this season, let’s begin to seek God and allow Him to show us a better way to live.
”Then Jesus said to them, ‘The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.’” – Mark 2:27
Discussion
From the very beginning of time, God has not just encouraged us to stop and rest…He has commanded it. Read Genesis 2:2-3, Exodus 20:8-11, and Deuteronomy 5:12-15. Sabbath, or “Shabbat” in Hebrew, literally means to “stop”. Growing up, what was your understanding of the Sabbath? How was it modeled to you? Why do you think it’s so important for us to observe the Sabbath that God would not just suggest it, but command it?
Read Mark 2:27. God gave us Sabbath as a gift, and this is a powerful perspective to have. How good are you at
“Sabbathing”…resting? When was the last time you truly took a day to stop and do nothing? Why is it such a tough habit to incorporate in our lives?
“Sabbath” is a resistance to the pace and push of our lives. A statement that declares…”This is enough. STOP and appreciate it.” It is a resting, a worshipping of God, a remembering of what God has done, and a resisting to the cultural pressure to “go, go, go”. What would it look like for you to observe the Sabbath? What tough decisions would you need to make to actually obey God’s command to stop and rest?
Next Steps
Read John 15:4. When it comes to actually observing a regular, weekly rhythm of observing the Sabbath in our lives, we need to intentionally build it into our routine because it just won’t happen on its own. What is one next step you need to take to begin to stop, rest, and worship? How can your small group help keep you accountable?